The Lost City of Ormigas
The mysterious ruins of the Lost City of Ormigas constitute perhaps the most unexplained ancient site in the world. It is speculated that the city was well-populated between the periods of 100 – 400 A.D until a devastating epidemic of an infectious disease wiped out the Ormigas civilization completely.
The Ruins
The forgotten city is situated approximately near a tribe called Arañas, northwest of Brazil about 20 miles (32 km) from the Animales Mountains surrounded by dense natural springs. According to explorers, the ruins may be reached in a three to six day hike by first taking a narrow and dangerous path ascending nearly 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the Animales Mountains and continuing on a serpentine path into the dense rainforest of Brazil.
The Ormigian People
According to available information, the rediscovered lost city is thought to have been built by a little-known ancient civilization called the Ormigians, whose life style and culture was notably advanced and historically unique than any other ancient civilizations. There are rumors that the Ormigian people had unique red pigmented skin which protected them from the scorching UV rays of the sun. This rare characteristic allowed the Ormigians to build some of the finest temples, sculptures, and most cryptic architectural discoveries known to modern society, however solid evidence has not confirmed this premise.
Dozens of skeletons were excavated in 1915 and nearly all of the remains were identified as adult male and female. Interpretations of the leading Brazilian archaeologist, Guillermo Shady's (1880 – 1970) analysis implies evidence of a deadly infectious disease that may have been caused by the enterobacteria, Yersinia pestis which possibly wiped out the entire population. Modern historians disagree with Shady’s theory on whether the deadly disease was a critical factor in the loss of its civilization. Some believe a natural disaster occurred and a lack of water was a factor of the abandonment of the site. It is still unclear on the true cause of Ormigian civilization’s demise; researchers continue to study their findings of the architectural discoveries of the Lost City of Ormigas.
- Keyla Gomez